A mature mesoscale convective system progressed east-southeastward across the extreme southern tip of Illinois, producing pockets of wind damage. The well-developed cold pool in the wake of the system sustained its rapid forward motion.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
A mature mesoscale convective system progressed east-southeastward across the extreme southern tip of Illinois, producing pockets of wind damage. The well-developed cold pool in the wake of the system sustained its rapid forward motion. Steep mid-level lapse rates coupled with 20 to 35 knots of mid level flow resulted in pockets of damaging winds with the complex. Weak ascent within the southern branch of the jetstream supported the formation of the system. In its wake, temperatures in the 60's in the cold pool kept the movement of the system accelerating east-southeast.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 6, 5:09 PM CST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 609 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED 608 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 APEX OF THE BOW HAS TURNED MORE SOUTHEAST OVER THE PAST HOUR. LATEST OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS INDICATES POCKET OF MOST UNSTABLE AIR SHIFTED SOUTH INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY AS OF 22Z. THEREFORE...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 625 WAS EXTENDED FURTHER EAST INTO WESTERN KENTUCKY. A FEW COUNTIES WERE ADDED IN FAR SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AS WELL. RADAR INDICATES VERY HIGH WINDS OVER 70 KNOTS AT 2 TO 3K FEET AGL NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SOUTH OF KCGI. STRONGEST WINDS WILL REMAIN JUST SOUTH OF THE APEX. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)... ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 TOWERING CUMULUS ALONG AND NORTH OF A MARBLE HILL...JACKSON SHOULD ENHANCE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AHEAD OF THE MCS OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI AS OF 19Z THURSDAY DURING THE MIDDLE/LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS CONVECTION WILL LIKELY DISTURB THE ENVIRONMENT AHEAD OF THE MCS...BUT ENHANCE POCKETS OF CONVECTION JUST AHEAD OF IT. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BOWING MCS STRUCTURE MAY DIVE MOVE SOUTH TOWARD BUTLER COUNTY...LIMITING EASTWARD MOVEMENT BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH SUNSET. LAPS DATA INDICATE BETTER CAPE AND THETA-E CONVERGENCE ACROSS THAT AREA. THE 3KM HRRR 1KM REFLECTIVITY FIELDS SEEM TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THE MCS THIS AFTERNOON. THIS FIELD WAS UTILIZED IN DEVELOP POP/WEATHER CHANCES ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NWS OFFICES IN SPRINGFIELD AND SAINT LOUIS MO. ONCE THIS MCS DECAYS AND DIES OUT THIS EVENING...THE MAIN FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WILL SHIFT BACK TO THE WEST WITH ANOTHER COLD FRONT MOVING TOWARD THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SATELLITE INITIALIZATION OF THE HEMISPHERIC SCALE MODELS HAS SHOWN THAT THE CLOSED CYCLONIC VORTEX THAT WAS ADVERTISED OVER THE ONTARIO CANADIAN PROVINCE...WAS ACTUALLY SHOWING UP FURTHER WEST IN THE MANITOBA CANADIAN PROVINCE. THE NET EFFECT FOR THE WFO PAH FORECAST AREA IS THAT THE TIMING OF THE SYSTEM MOVEMENT OF THE COLD FRONT WILL BE SHIFTED TO THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS ON FRIDAY. THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT IMMEDIATE POST-FRONTAL...WITH FAIRLY GOOD PRECIPITATION EFFICIENCY. GOES SOUNDER DATA ALREADY SHOW LAYER PRECIPITABLE WATER BETWEEN 1.6 TO 2.0 INCHES...ALREADY NEARLY 100 PERCENT OF NORMAL. THERE IS DEEPER PLUME OF PRECIPITABLE WATER IN ARKANSAS AT THIS TIME AND THIS SHOULD TRANSLATE OVER THE WFO PAH FORECAST AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. PLAN TO EMPHASIZE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WITH THE SYSTEM ON FRIDAY. AFTER THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...EARLY SATURDAY MORNING...STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION SHOULD BRING MAX TEMPERATURES DOWN SOME 1O TO 15 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL FOR SATURDAY...A WELCOME RELIEF TO THE RECORD SETTING SUMMER HEAT. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 219 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 DEEP EASTERN U.S. TROF IS FORECAST TO MOVE OFFSHORE FOLLOWED BY RISING MID LEVEL HEIGHTS OVER THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO VALLEY REGIONS EARLY NEXT WEEK. AT THE SURFACE...LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST OF THE REGION. THE AIRMASS IS FORECAST TO REMAIN VERY DRY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SO NO PRECIPITATION FORECAST...WITH TEMPERATURES MODERATING EACH DAY. WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...THE MODELS DROP A FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH TOWARD THE REGION. STILL SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL MAKE IT INTO THE AREA LATE IN THE DAY 7 PERIOD. SO ELECTED TO LEAVE IT OUT FOR NOW...AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR LONG RANGE MODEL FORECAST TRENDS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1239 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 FOR THE 18Z THURSDAY TAF ISSUANCE...KEPT THE BEST CHANCES FOR RAIN AT OR BEYOND THIS FORECAST PERIOD IN AND AROUND EACH OF THE WFO PAH TAF SITES. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS THE KCGI TAF. GIVEN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH BARELY TOUCHING THIS TAF SITE...ADDED A MENTION OF VICINITY THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FOR THE MOST PART...KEPT ALL TAF SITES IN VFR CATEGORY IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM. ATTEMPTED TO TRANSITION THE KEVV/KOWB TAF SITES FROM THE LINGERING CLOUD DECK FROM THE MORNING FOG TO VFR CLOUDS. SINCE KEVV WILL LIKELY BE CLOSER TO THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ATTENDANT CONVECTION ON FRIDAY...ADDED A MENTION OF SHOWERS WITH MID CLOUD CEILINGS WITHIN THE LAST THREE HOURS OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && UPDATE...MY SHORT TERM/AVIATION...SMITH LONG TERM....CN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 343 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-071000- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 343 PM CDT THU SEP 6 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OKLAHOMA HAS EXPANDED THE SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WEST OF A LINE FROM INA AND EDDYVILLE ILLINOIS...ONWARD TO PADUCAH KENTUCKY AND DORENA MISSOURI. A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE THE EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD...WITH SMALL HAIL TO ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AS SECONDARY HAZARDS. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL REDEVELOP AND MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS OUTLOOKED THE ENTIRE AREA IN A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. BASED ON CURRENT MODEL TRENDS...THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED RISK FOR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS DURING THE LATE MORNING...AROUND 11 AM CDT...TO THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON...AROUND 4 PM CDT...OVER SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS. THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AREA WIDE WILL SPAN BETWEEN NOON AND 6 PM CDT FRIDAY. AT THAT TIME...BOTH DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE OF GREATER CONCERN AS LOW LEVEL SHEAR IN THE STORMS SUPPORTS STRONGER UPDRAFTS. THE STRONGER STORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO WEST KENTUCKY DURING THE EVENING...GRADUALLY DECREASING IN STRENGTH AND BECOMING ELEVATED IN NATURE. DURING THE EARLY EVENING...HEAVY RAIN WILL BE AN ISSUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA ALONG AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE IN POORLY DRAINED AND LOW LYING AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY STILL BE NEEDED OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY AGAIN BE NEEDED LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. REPORTS OF HAIL...GUSTY AND DAMAGING WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE APPRECIATED. SMITH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
617 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0600 PM HAIL BLODGETT 37.00N 89.53W
09/06/2012 E1.00 INCH SCOTT MO BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
618 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0616 PM TSTM WND GST DU QUOIN 38.00N 89.24W
09/06/2012 E47 MPH PERRY IL TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL LIMBS DOWN
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
621 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0620 PM TSTM WND GST CAIRO 37.00N 89.18W
09/06/2012 M52.00 MPH ALEXANDER IL AWOS
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
627 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0551 PM TSTM WND DMG BLODGETT 37.00N 89.53W
09/06/2012 SCOTT MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN ON POWERLINE
0557 PM TSTM WND DMG ORAN 37.08N 89.65W
09/06/2012 SCOTT MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL TREES DOWN
0604 PM TSTM WND DMG ORAN 37.08N 89.65W
09/06/2012 SCOTT MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREE DOWN OVER ROAD
0607 PM TSTM WND DMG MORLEY 37.04N 89.61W
09/06/2012 SCOTT MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER LINE DOWN ON A HOUSE CAUSED A HOUSE FIRE
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
629 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0629 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 5 SE THEBES 37.16N 89.39W
09/06/2012 E50 MPH ALEXANDER IL TRAINED SPOTTER
3 TO 4 INCH LIMBS DOWN
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
631 PM CDT THU SEP 06 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0629 PM TSTM WND GST 5 SE THEBES 37.16N 89.39W
09/06/2012 E50.00 MPH ALEXANDER IL TRAINED SPOTTER
3 TO 4 INCH LIMBS DOWN
&&
DLLThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 35 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:29 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A loaded 18-wheeler was blown over on U.S. Highway 60/62 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River bridge.
In Metropolis, a window was blown out of a house. Power lines and tree limbs were blown down. An awning was torn off a cafe, and there was siding and gutter damage to houses. A large tree was down across a main street just north of town.
A trained spotter estimated a wind gust to 65 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, September 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 406954, 406956, 406955.